The neighbourhood of the Sept of The Quarter was just as derelict but no where near as deserted. An observer did not have to look far in to the shadows to see the rats feeding on the garbage. Here and there a bum snored from within his cardboard palace, or pushed a shopping cart full of 'genuine' Vedovelli handbags down the cracked sidewalk. Kate pulled up right outside the Sept. On the opposite side of the street, a stylized mural was hidden amongst the a jungle of old graffiti. What looked like a random collection of icons, glyphs and artwork were actually decorations on the belly of a thirty-foot skateboard. The skater's fingers could be seen cradling the bottom of the board, and part of a cheeky face and outstretched hand could be seen above.
"I brought donuts," Kate announced as she entered the Sept.
"Welcome back, friend," Highscore greeted with a grin.
"Is Zach around?" The dragon asked the wolf as he led her to the back of the arcade. Zach and Mr None were chatting over a table.
"So, Kate, have you tried the sample yet?" Mr None asked.
"No, have you?" Kate replied. Mr None smirked.
"Max came to get me first. I declined," he explained.
"Apparently I was his second choice," Zach added.
"Oho! Did you miss out!" Kate exclaimed.
"Theodorus! How's it hanging, man?"
Theodorus could not clearly perceive the mural, it was out of his line of sight. It was moving slightly at the corner of his perception, he just couldn't tell how.
"Not bad, Deckster. How about you?"
"It's all good, man. Grey skies are gone, sun is back, summer's warm... awesome!"
"Oh yeah, awesome," a gruff, cantankerous voice cut in. "The rats are overrunning the streets, the hobos are out of control, and it's been over six years since anyone dumped a body!" The speaker was also out of Theodorus's vision, but he knew what he would see if he could – a large, grimy dumpster sitting just inside an alley off the mural's south edge.
'Rats and hobos are what you get when you have Bone Gnawers looking out for you, bro," Deckster pointed out. "They're the reason we're thriving!"
"How is it that you consider fewer bodies being dumped a bad thing?" Theodorus asked.
"OBVIOUSLY it means one of two things," the dumpster reasoned. "One – all the wealthy people worth beating to death and robbing are gone. No more common folk. Or two- this place is so desolate that even the thugs have gone. Possibly just depressed to the point of absolute apathy. This neighbourhood has so little going for it even the scum can't be assed anymore."
"No way, Trashmouth," Deckster interjected. "No bodies are being dumped because no-one is getting murdered in the streets anymore. Garou have got your back, dude."
"DUDE, this is New York, in case you hadn't noticed," Trashmouth retorted.
"Man, you need to chill," Deckster laughed.
"Bite my shiny metal ass!"
"So what did you come up with?" Kate asked as she walked around to the driver's side. Zach climbed in to the truck before answering.
"We have a test to determine what it might be," he answered as he clipped in his seatbelt. "We're not entirely convinced this is Gurahl magic, this should settle that question."
"Yeah, this whole thing seems a little conceited for a Gurhal scheme," Kate agreed. "So we're going to the mansion?"
"Apple π is closer," Zach replied. "I just need to get a ...sample..."